i wonder if the reduction in burning, would be the numbness or loss of sensation setting in. It seems that with neuropathy, people have increased sensitivity to pain as well. it seems that your PN isnt progressing as much as other peoples here. The joints do seems suspicious a little bit though.

Thanks for your reply.

Has anyone with peripheral neuropathy had the following symptoms? Had problems mainly sensory for 6 months now. Had a real annoying flare up over the past 3 days. Here is what has been happening:

1) Wrist pain - a burning like a band around my wrist and sort of an ache that sometimes goes into my fingers but is almost constant, both sides but worse on the right. When I type it feels like carpal tunnel with me almost being able to feel the nerves going through the carpal tunnel.
2) Ankle pain - a burning like a band around my ankle and just above the ankle with the toes feeling like they are on fire even at rest, this can extend over the front of the foot into a sock like symptom and into the bottom of the foot, numbness, both sides but worse on the left - I can sometimes feel the ankle bones ache (These two symptoms make up 80-90% of my problem)
3) AC joint pain - deep burning or ache around the front, mainly right
4) Left hip pain - deep burning or ache which sometimes goes into the butt
5) When I walk I can get altered sensation in the bottom of the foot always in the front and never in the heel. Particularly noticeable when I try to run.

Had 3 x comprehensive lots of blood tests - nothing was elevated, entirely normal including rheumatoid markers. These were done as recently as two weeks ago the last set.
Nerve conduction test normal - neurologist puts it down to a post viral polyneuropathy.
First Lyme test was inconclusive awaiting on 2nd result but ANA was normal on ordinary bloods.
No swelling, no redness, no loss of function - appears only to be sensory. I take B12 supplements 1000mg every day

I am so frustrated any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I'm in the same boat when it comes to the tests and potential diagnosis. I had the flu around the time I started to notice the tingling. Fast forward a few months and it started causing my joints to ache. No inflammation though.

Do you have any inflammation or atrophy in your joints, kazzak21? How about leg muscle tightness?

Fast forward to a year now and it's still around the joints but also a lot of tight muscles. Stretching really helps but not for long.

Oh rats. I'm sorry it's back again. That's why I asked. It comes and goes sometimes. Whatever "it" is.

Hang in there.

Thanks for your reply. It feels like inflammation but there are no signs of it, no atrophy either.

I don't seem to have much muscle tightness. When you get it in the joints - what joints are affected? Are you taking anything for it? I have tried anti-inflammatries but they don't seem to make any difference.

I haven't had an MRI yet, do you think it is worth pushing for one?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I thought about trying some antibiotics or maybe asking my GP for prednisone to see if it made any difference.

I would push for an MRI (cervical and lumbar as well as hip.) It is not invasive and may come up with something significant. If you are a marathon runner it is just a logical place to look imo. For me it now looks like my neuropathy could be from a combination of a herniation at T12 and many issues in my lumbar. When this first started I also thought I had a virus that was attacking my sensory nerves because I had 2 bad attacks of fever blisters (Herpes simplex virus 1) close together right before it all began. I even took drugs for it but it did not help with my symptoms.

I have no inflammation either. And it's good to know you don't have atrophy.

Almost all major joints were affected at one point or another. Right now it is the ankles and knees. Some nerves pass through the hip so every time I compress the hip (with belts and such), my symptoms tend to increase.

Lyrica didn't do much but it probably helped with the muscle spasms I occasionally have. But it made me zombie-like and cost a lot. Aspercreme has done wonders for the dull achy pain I get. Stretching helps too. NSAIDs don't do much for me either.

Push for an MRI! Mine showed mild herniation in the cervical and L5-S1 Lumbar. I don't think it's enough to describe the symptoms but something's up. Plus there is usually no contrast so it's short and pain free.

Hi there

Thanks for your replies. Yes, will push for an MRI, my problem is as a physiotherapist I have had my left hip tested and have full ROM and no deficits in strength, all clinical tests for OA etc seem to be negative. I have quite a light frame and do all of my running off road.

This is what I am currently doing: Taking 1000mg B12, taking epium 5mg at night to help me sleep. I am running for 30 mins off road 3 x per week, playing the odd game of tennis. Whether or not I exercise does not seem to make any difference to the symptoms and makes me feel better psychologically. I do get some numbness in the feet particularly in the front near the top of the underside of the foot. I didn't exercise at all for 6 weeks and it made absolutely no difference. The only thing I have found that seriously annoys it is deep tissue massage as weird as that may seem.

I have also started lightly rolling my ITB, calves, hamstring and butts with a roller which seems to make a difference and twice daily stretching particularly of the calves, wrists and shoulders.

My biggest concern and I would appreciate your thoughts: with this joint aching which has no rhyme or reason, does it result in any functional loss? AT the moment mine seems to be only sensory. This is my most vital question, I am 47 nearly 48 and cannot afford to lose my career which is quite demanding on your hands and arms.

what are you b12 levels?. it seems that messaging is helping your symptoms, you should continue that. Getting an MRI, WOULD rule out or confirm if there is spinal joint/disk disease, which can cause your symptom. i suspect my pn is being caused by spinal damage, as i recently as few weeks ago, starting to get more pain.

The main reason I suggested MRI of the hip was because of your hip pain. It wasn't necessarily to find the cause of your neuropathy symptoms. The two may not be related. I just figured if the doctor was ordering MRI's maybe another wouldn't hurt. I should have mentioned this and I'm sorry I didn't.

I had deep burning and/or ache in my hip which sometimes went into my butt like you describe. I also had severe stabbing pains intermittently. I had full ROM, and no decrease in strength. I had an x-ray which showed a cyst in my hip that was causing my hip problems. We wanted to look at the soft tissue also so that was why I had an MRI. By finding the cause of my hip problem I have been able to stop that pain which was at least one less thing to deal with.

It has been my experience that sometimes things pop up that I have thought to be connected to my SFN. I have learned through this experience that these issues are not always related.

My symptoms came on suddenly, lasted six weeks, then subsided to about 95-99% gone for FOUR MONTHS. The boom, back and have been back for six months now. This thing makes no sense!

I'm also a runner, and just wondering if maybe some of the joint stuff could be unrelated running stress or injury? Just an idea...